Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Be A Fan"

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

I'm always amazed at how strongly people feel about certain things.

Not so long ago, in Naples, Italy, masked men attacked four members of the local soccer team with iron bars. They sent one of them to the hospital. A group of fans later, and quite proudly, took credit for the action. They justified their conduct by explaining the attacks were designed to punish the players for a 5-1 loss to a team that came from Milan.

A spokesperson for the irate fans said, "[The Napoli players] earn billions of lire and do not play hard. We will attack them again if they do not improve." (I guess I’m glad I’m a preacher. The worst people do to me is fall asleep or turn the radio dial.)

Please don't misunderstand. I'm not against anyone being a fan of sports or anything else. But I do believe that if you're going to be that enthusiastic, it ought to be about something more significant than a soccer game that is quickly forgotten. If you're going to get involved enough to take action, it ought to be in a cause that has a purpose.

Our Lord Jesus gave us such a purpose when He told us to get involved. He gave us many choices for fans to support Him. For example, they could share the story of salvation with the lost; they can help those who are less fortunate, or be supportive to those who are lonely, or in pain.

Those are causes worth fighting for and getting involved in. Now I don’t know where your gifts are, or what inspires you to action, but I would encourage you to adopt one mission where you can be a fanatic. Pick your project, and support it as hard as you can in the Name of Christ. Be one of God's fans for good.

From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"

THE PRAYER: Dear God, I want to be one of Your fans for good. Open my eyes and heart to the opportunities You place before me to help others and share Your story of salvation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

More

Change Their World. Change Yours. This changes everything.

Your browser is out-of-date!

You may need to update your browser to view LHM.org correctly.Your current browser is no longer considered secure, and it is recommended that you upgrade. If you are running Windows XP or Vista, you may consider downloading Firefox or Opera for continued support. For questions, email us at lh_min@lhm.orgUpdate my browser now